coldwell



(No Model.) sheets-sheet 1.

T. 85 W. H. COLDWELL.

LAWN BDGB TRIMMER.

No. 340,&120. ?atented Apr. 20, 1886.

?Sheets-Sheet 2.

, Patented Apr. 20, 1886.

f mu T L u W D L 0 nu E W & m

LAWN EDGE TRIMMER.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.,

THOMAS COLDWELL AND \VILLIAM HiCOLDWELL, OF NEWBURG, NEW YORK.

LAWN-EDGE TRlMMER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 340,&20, dated'Aprl 20,1886.

Application filed March 25, 1585. Serial No. 160.079.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, THOMAS COLDWELL and WILLIAM H. COLDWELL, ofNewburg, in the county of Orange, and in the State of New York, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Lawn-Edge Trimmers; andwe do hereby declare that the followingis a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,in whichx Figure 1 shows a View in side elevation of our machine; Fig.2, a vertical sectional view of the same online :v :v of Fig. 1, lookingfrom the front ofthe machine; Fig. 3, a perspective View of therevolving cutter removed, and Fig. 4 a detail sectional View showing theadj ustable means of attaching the handle to the frame-plate.

Letters of like name and 'kind refer to like parts in each of thefigures.

The object of our invention is to provide an improved machine fortrimming the borders and edges of lawns which shall not only cut thegrass on the edge, but will cut the dirt away and make the borderstraight and even; and to this end our invention consists in theconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts as hereinafterspecified.

In the drawings, A designates the main supporting and driving drum,which, as shown, is made tapering or conical in shape. The larger end ofthe drum is open, and from the inner side of the closed smaller endthereof a rigid cylindrical hollow shalt or gudgeon, B, extends outwardaxially through the drum to such open end. As shown, this' shaft orgudgeon is preferably made in one piece with the drum. The disk-shapedframe-plate C, fitting within and closing the larger open end of thedrum, is provided on its iiiner side with the central hollow hub orsleeve, D, in which is journaled the shaft or gudgeon B on the drum.Around the gudgeon,at its point of attachment to the smaller end of thedrum, is formed the shoulder E, against which the end of the hub orsleeve D on plate C abuts. The f'ame-plate and the drum are held firmlytogether, with the gudgeon B j ournaled in the hub D, by the bolt F,passing through the plate B', forming the smaller end of the drum, thegudgeon or shaft B, and the frame-plate. The head F' of the bolt sets ina recess, G, formed in the outer side of the franeplate, so that itshall be out of the way and not project beyond the face of the plate.The ou'ter face of the smaller end of the drum is also reoessed at H, toreceive the nut I on the threaded end of the bolt. When this nut istightened up, the frame-plate and drum will be drawn toward each otherunt-il' the end of the hub or sleeve D abuts against the shoulder Earound the base of the gudgeon or shaft B. Below the hub D theframe-plate is provided on its inner side with a second hollow boss orrigid sleeve, K, eX- tending inward nearly to the smaller end of thedrum. In this boss is journaled the shaft L, which carries on its innerend a pinion, M, meshingwith an internal gear, N, on the drum, and onits outcr end beyond the frame-plate the revolving cutter O, to bedescribed more fully.

A fixed knife, P, is attached to the frame plate by means of screws p p.so as to project below the lower edge of theplate and the drum or rollerA. As shown, this knife is attached to the plate in the rear of therevolving cutter-shaft L, and is so set that its edge inclines downwardand forward to a point below the cutter-shaft. bly of such length and soinclined that its end comes vertically below the axis of such shaft. Theknife is not parallel to the face of the frameplate, but is set at anangle thereto, being inclined downward and outward therefrom. As themachine is run forward this knife will then cut the lawn edge so that itwill be beveled instead of square. This is very desirable, as the borderor edge will then keep its shape better than if its face were leftperpendicular, as by a square cut.

Attached to the,frame-plate near its upper edge, preferably by a' bolt,R, as shown, is the angled bracket S, which from its attaching portionis bent outward from the plate and then downward. The outer and lowerarm, S', of the b'acket, which, as shown, stands at a sufficientdistance from the frame-plate to admit the revolvingcutter between itand the plate, is provided with a conical ended or pointed screw, T,tapped through itiu line with the axis of the cutter shaft L. The

It is preferar ICO pointed inner end, T',of this screw engagesthe A endof such shaft, a center notch being preferably, but not necessarily,made in theshaft end for receiving the screw-point. Upon the screwoutside of the bracket-arm S' is provided the jam-nut T for looking thescrew from rotation in the ordinary and well-known way. The revolvingcutter O consists of the central hub, O', for attachment to thecutter-shaft, and the radial blade-arms O' O O' Four of these are shown;but more or less of them can be used, as desired, without departure fromour invention.

The outer sides or backs of the cutter-arms are made substantially atright angles to the aXis of rotation of the cutter,while the inner sidesor edges, o o o o, of the arms are nadeinclined outward to correspondwith the outward inclne of the fixed knife, so that as each blade or armis brought down by the revolution of the cutter to act in coujunctionwith the fixed blade its edge will shear close to the edge ofsuch fixedblade throughout itsleugth. The hub O' extends inward along the shaft Land projects into a rabbet in the plate around the shafthole.

In order to clear away and throw outward the cut grass or dirt, theforward faces, o' 0' 0' o of the cutter-blades O O O Q do not stand atright angles to the plane of rotation of the cutter, but are inclinedfrom their outer sides forward and inward. As each cutter arm or bladethen comes down to act with the fixed blade to cut the grass and dirt onthe lawn edge, the inclined face of the arm striking the cut dirt orgrass will throw it outward, so as to leave the face of the lawn edgeclear and clean cut.

The fixed cutter-blade is preferably made of such length as to projectslightly below the lower or outer ends of the edges of the revolvingcutter-blades.

By means of the bearing-screwTthe cutter- `shaft and revolving cutterthereon can be adjusted endwise toward the stationary cutter to take upor compensate for wear.

On the edge of the frame-plate, to the rear of the point of attachmentof the bracket S to the plate, is a disk-shaped extension, U, offset toclear the edge of the drum A, and having the annular series of radialcorrugatious U' around its edge. The end of the handle V, which can beof wood or metal, is clamped and forced up against these corrugations bymeans of the bolt W, passing through the landle and acentral hole in theextension, and having its head hearing against the back of theextension, and a nut screwed on its outer end hearing against the outerside of the handle. WVith this Construction, if the nut be loosened, thehandle can be adjusted by swinging it up or down on the bolt as a pivot.The nut is then tightened up again,

so as to cause the eorrugatons on the extenside draft caused by thecutters will be coun` tel-acted. Our machine, constructed and operatingas described and shown, then cuts a bevel edge upon the lawn, and leavessuch cut edge clean and clear of the cut grass or dirt,

and while doing its work cau be easily and perfectly guided to cut theedge on the desired line because of its freedom from side draft. It issimple, and cau be taken apart and put together easily and quickly, and

while the various parts can be adjusted to take up wear there is nothingcomplicated about it to get out of' order.

Having thus described our iuvention, what we claim is- 1. In combinationwith the frame-plate, substantially at right angles to the supportingand driving roller, the fixed knife attached to the plate, and extendingdownward and outward at an angle thereto, the revolving cutter revolvingon an axis at right angles to the plate, having the forward sides of itsblades inclined outward and rearward, and the inner sides adapted toshe'ar close to the fixed knit'e, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

2. The revolving cutter consisting of the hub and the blades attachedthereto, having their forward faces or sides inclined outward andrearward, and the lines of their innersides inclined outward from thehub,substautia1ly as and for the purpose described.

3. In combination with the taper roller and the frame-plate,substantially at right angles to the axis of the roller, the fixed knifeattachcd to the plate, and extendiug downward and outward at an anglethereto, the revolving cutter revolving on an axis at right angles tothe frame-platc, having the forward sides of its blades inclined outwardand rearward, and the inuer sides adapted to slear close to the. fixedkuife, substantially as and for the purpose described.

In testimouy that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our handsthis 14th day of March, 1885.

THOMAS COLDWELL. WlLLlAM H. COLDWELL. Witnesses:

WILLIAM H. HORTON, -EDWIN T. SMITH.

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